. >>> in japan, financial regulator -- japan's financial regulator, that is, they plan to strengthen rules against insider trading after a series of information leaks from major securities firms earlier this year. the financial services agency now wants stricter punishment for employees at securities firms who illegally leak information to their clients. under current regulations, those employees are not subject to punishment. but after the revision, the agency will reveal names of those involved in serious cases. that's including investors. the agency is also considering a steep rise in penalties. regulators hope to comete a revised bill by the end of the year and submit it to parliament next year. >>> now let's get a check on how markets are performing. tokyo's main stock index broke 9,600 for the first time in 7 1/2 months at the open. it's currently trading right below that at 9,570, still a gain of 0.5% from tuesday's close. an overnight rally overseas is fueling market sentiment. a weaker yen's also lifting export-related issues. let's take a look at the currency markets. the e